Stille Nacht
by thegirlwhowearsthedirtyshirt
Summary: WW1 AU Oneshot. It is 24th December 1914 and on the Western Front singing can be heard from a German trench...


Disclaimer: I do not own Merlin or any of the songs or ideas that are used in this piece.

Author's Note: I've been on a bit of a WW1 kick and wanted to write something about the temporary peace that happened on the Western Front in 1914. So this little one shot was dreamed up! I've taken a lot of artistic licence but the plot bunny hit me! I've tried to keep it real and respectful and have tried my best; But anyway- Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.

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><p>"Grandad will you tell the story again?" Anna asked as she poked the coal fire in her grandparent's house. "Tell the story of Peace and Goodwill to all men!" I looked down at her, I never spoke of the Great War, I had lost too many friends and seen things men should never see, but there was one incident that I would talk about even if it was only on Christmas Eve.<p>

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><p>"<em>I bring a message for all mankind to hear..."<em>

_A Spaceman Came Travelling, Chris de Burgh_

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><p>Midnight blue sky reached from horizon to horizon and only the tiny lamps reflected across the desolated landscape of the war zone, frosted landscape, crisp edges with every dip, curve and shape pronounced by the white of the land. The frost highlighting where the bodies of men lay, their souls had left the earth and their early remains left for the world to forget their names and deeds. Many had been my friends who I had known, talk to and shared things with and never would again. It was as though a mighty monster had breathed on the world and its breath had frozen mid way. I rubbed my hands together for warmth. The only warmth in this place where the Christmas spirit had left the world for the Ice Queen to make the world as cold as the war and the surrounding area could be found by friction as the fire was as cold and gave little heat.<p>

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><p>"<em>And suddenly there was an Angel, a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying "Glory to God in the Highest and peace on earth!"<em>

_Messiah, Handel_

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><p>The chill of the Christmas night felt as though it was getting into my very bones making the entire experience one of cold and chill; I wished to sleep but none came. Lieutenant Arthur Pendragon, my master and employer, pulled the coat closer to himself on my right while Lieutenant Gwaine did the same on the other, each looking over the top for a split second then back to ponder there freezing fingers. I looked over the trench walls and found I could see clearly across the stretch of land between us and the German's and I could make out shadows of the men freezing the opposite trench. But I did not have the heart to shoot at them. I wished I was home, with my mother, with the warm fires and Christmas presents and singing carols. I missed singing carols but it hadn't felt like the right place to. I looked at the sky and the bright stars up ahead, I hoped the German's thought the same tonight.<p>

"The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lay..." I turned to my right to see Arthur looking at me. He came over and sat next to me. "I know what you are thinking, doesn't feel like Christmas does it, Corporal?"

I shook my head; the older man smiled back and gave my arm a quick knock, "Well I feel as though in the deep of night we should have some Christmas spirit- tiding of great joy! Comfort, tiding of great joy- because let's face it lad's I feel like one of the Sheppard's on a hill side waiting for some Angels!" Lieutenant Percival smiled and a quiet "hear hear" was heard, trust Arthur I thought, he was always so passionate. I smiled. But suddenly a gunshot was heard and the Christmas spirit that Arthur had roused was lost. Maybe the German's weren't feeling the Christmas spirit and had decided to shoot tonight

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><p>"<em>They said there'd be peace on earth"<em>

_I believe in Father Christmas, Greg Lake_

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><p>I woke many less than an hour later still to pitch black and found that the gun fire had stopped and Arthur was asleep under the stars as where many of the officers. I must have fallen asleep but none of them had woken me. I remembered by sleep to be fitful and not well. It was still very cold, and I guessed it must have been colder than before, and I lit a match close to my hands for warmth. It was silent throughout the trench; I guessed most people were asleep, dreaming of home, Christmas and family on this day. I got up for some warmth and found nearly all my company asleep. And then I couldn't take the silence anymore. I slowly started to sing.<p>

"Silent Night, Holy Night..."

Suddenly another voice answered me and I looked up to see Arthur smiling at me. " All is calm all is bright...round young virgin mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild, sleep in heavenly peace, sleep in heavenly peace..."

I smiled realising this was what he was talking about, something small that would remind us of Christmas even so far from home. As we sang more voices joined us until a quiet verse was finished. It was eerie and echoed around the trench, a quiet hymn of reflection and faith. We finished the verse and the men fell quiet. It was simple but it was like magic with every bit of meaning of the virgin birth- a cold and frosty land, far away where there was uncertainly of the next day and no room at the inn.

"Listen!" Arthur suddenly said and there was singing, and for a second I thought the angels had heard are singing and answered us to bring tidings of great joy and peace like in the carol because who else would be singing in a small corner of France in 1914? I looked across the trench and sure enough singing was coming from across No man's Land- German voices singing us Silent Night back.

Arthur had a quick look over the trench and then dropped his weapon and jumped over the top. We all watched in horror and I realised I had to follow my master into death or glory and followed suit. No Man's land was desolate and scary but there walking towards Arthur more than half way across the field was three German soldiers's each singing as loudly as possible Silent Night. I caught up with Arthur and he hissed to me "Sing." And we did singing in English to their German.

I sang and realised that this was what the Carols of old sang of "Peace on Earth and God Will To ALL Men." Even in this place of death and destruction, and even if it was for only a few days there was peace and goodwill to men.

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><p>"<em>For out of darkness we have light which makes the angels sing this night.<em>

_For out of darkness we have light which makes the angels sing this night._

_Glory to god and peace to men now and ever more,_

_AMEN!"_

_Sussex Carol, Traditional_

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><p>"Tell the rest of the story Grandad!" But I could not. I remembered it all, the carols, the friendly drink, the football game, the peaceful funerals that day- even the exchange of gifts between men from each side. It was so clear. And then the remembered the rest of the war. The next day and the nonstop gun fire. How over the next four years I lost the men in my company and that terrible day in 1917 when Arthur was shot and there was nothing I could do. I completely zoned out to hear the radio and Freya telling my Grandchildren to listen. I could hear the gun fire but I also knew that even though the death and horror there had been Angels that Christmas Eve.<p> 


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